End-user engagement in developing Virtual Reality Training systems for Industry 5.0

Virtual reality (VR) training has emerged as an effective means of training workers in safety procedures and in learning new technologies and roles. In the field of industrial human-robot collaboration (HRC), VR can be a promising means of training and upskilling industrial operators. Operators familiarize themselves with robots through a virtual simulation before in-person interaction with the robots. As with any technology, the development of VR training systems should include user-centred research to ensure user friendliness of the training interface, and effective use and acceptance by the end-user. The following study presents a methodology for engaging end-users in the initial stages of development of VR training systems. The end-user engagement took place as an online workshop with 5 industrial operators from the automotive industry. They first discussed their current training practises and expectations from future training for HRC. Following this, they were shown first-person videos of a user interacting with the VR training system and their opinions and feedback regarding the system and the process of VR training were captured. The operators’ feedback about the VR training system, and integration of this feedback are discussed in detail.